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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter One Hundred Twenty-Three: Reunion
After gathering my thoughts, I stepped out of the Company Headquarters and realized it had already grown dark. In the distance, I could see the towering buildings of Myriad Lights. Looking down at the young faces of the warriors assembling on the steps, I thought to myself that the Unit was indeed a big family. Although I couldn't return home to celebrate the New Year with my family, there were so many people here who needed me. It felt incredibly important to be able to make a mark on their military journey. I wasn't sure how our country's conscription system was established, but I felt that for new recruits, spending the New Year away from home might carry a psychological significance akin to weaning—signifying a departure from home and an integration into this larger community.
As I pondered this, the Duty Squad Leader began reporting to me. I glanced at Old Tang, who was also ready and standing at the front of the line, and then gave the command, "Lead the squad to the training ground."
I descended the steps and stood at the front of the line alongside Old Tang. Following the Duty Squad Leader's command, we marched in unison toward the training ground.
In the center of the training ground, a stage had already been set up for the New Recruit Camp Evening Party. The colorful lights and wires were all arranged, and soon it would be filled with spectators—some from the Recruit Training Camp and others from Veteran Units. This would be the first time these New Recruits would showcase themselves in front of the Entire Unit. No wonder the leaders placed such importance on this evening's performance; it wasn't just about displaying the spirit of the new recruits but also about assessing whether these individuals had developed a sense of belonging within this group.
We arrived relatively early; two other Units had not yet shown up, but some Veterans from our Unit were already present. The viewing area had been marked out in advance, and as I led my squad to our designated spot, I was surprised to find that my old company was right next to us. The Old Company Commander was watching me closely. When he noticed me, he smiled slightly; behind him sat my A Row, with several people waving at me and calling out greetings to Squad Leader. Even Company Commander didn’t reprimand them; it warmed my heart. It was well known that Company Commander was strict with discipline and would never allow such behavior under normal circumstances—this felt like encouragement!
Since everyone had brought benches, after issuing a unified command, everyone sat down properly on their benches. I asked Old Tang to keep an eye on our squad while I shifted my bench to sit next to Old Company Commander.
He teased me with a grin, "Oh? Why are you abandoning your Commander to come over here? Damn it, I'm still here! Are you just here to be my assistant now?"
I chuckled, "Being an assistant is fine; it's much more relaxed here with Old Company."
"Are this year's new recruits easy to manage? Any particularly mischievous warriors? I heard your Unit is full of College Student Leaders—can they handle them?"
"Haha, it's manageable but quite stressful; now I understand why your position is tough."
"Hey, your road is still long ahead. Let me give you a tip: during this time at work, familiarize yourself with training outlines and materials. Get accustomed to daily training routines because when the new recruits join our Unit after New Year’s, you'll have your hands full."
"Hehe, got it!" I replied with a grin.
At that moment, cheers erupted outside as various units entered. Old Tang called out to me; it was time for me to prepare early. After the leaders finished speaking, we would be the first performance.
I greeted the Old Company Commander and returned to my team. I turned to Old Tang and asked, "Are you nervous?" Old Tang smiled, "I don't have your mental fortitude. I've only sung in the KV; I've never performed in front of so many people."
I chuckled, "Just follow my lead; after all, you're not the main character."
You might have been wondering what my first program was. Now I can reveal the mystery: the opening act is a choir performance. Not a full company choir or a class choir, but rather one person selected from each class to form a choir.
This idea actually came to me during our singing sessions before meals. Singing before meals is quite an enjoyable activity. I noticed that in our unit, aside from a few individuals with particularly loud voices, some always sang off-key. For instance, we have a soldier in our Unit who sings "Unity Is Strength," but it always sounds like "Unity Is Strength" to me. There's no way to correct him; he just belts out the song, competing with sheer volume and spirit.
One of those loud voices was a soldier I picked from our Unit—a real loudspeaker whose voice could make your ears ring. That was a good starting point. As for rehearsals, it was even simpler; before every meal, I had them sing different songs with the whole company to see how their individual voices compared to the group. The results were surprising; this loudspeaker must have some resonance effect because without strict control, the whole company's voices couldn't drown out his.
As for the Instructor, he was the choir conductor—his role was secondary but effective. If the Company Commander were conducting, it would seem expected. But with Old Tang from political work taking charge, his presence would surely impress the leaders; this is psychological warfare.
At this moment, a new recruit team led by Sheng Xiong had already formed separately, and Old Tang stood beside them. I patted his shoulder and said, "Brother, we're counting on you to set a good example!"
The Stage was already being organized by the Military Staff Officer; the leaders would be arriving soon. Sure enough, after a few minutes of adjustments, the Recruit Training Camp's<span style="color: red;"> Company Commander and Instructor walked in alongside the Regimental Leadership from outside the training ground and headed straight for the tables at A Row below the stage.
Since it was a Reunion event, they canceled the reporting procedure. After the Military Staff Officer briefly outlined a few requirements, the Commander began his speech—essentially welcoming the New Comrades and keeping it very brief—before announcing that the Reunion evening officially began!
The host and announcer for the evening was the Recruit Training Camp's Instructor. He announced loudly, "The first program is a choir performance by the New Recruit Company—'Loyalty to the Country.'"
As soon as he finished speaking, Old Tang shouted slogans and led a soldier onto the stage. Once they stood at attention on Stage, they quickly lined up according to height, with Sheng Xiong starting from the center and descending in order on both sides. They stood tall and firm while Old Tang took position at the front in a typical conductor's stance.
The powerful and stirring prelude began to play—it was indeed Tu Honggang's "Loyalty to the Country." I smiled as I watched my comrades on Stage; I believed they could capture the essence of this song.
"Smoke rises from battlefields; gazing northward at our land, dragons rise as horses neigh and swords gleam like frost!" With that heart-stirring melody, one Buddy's voice suddenly rang out—it truly was an impressive display! The audience fell silent!
"Like the Yellow River, vast and boundless, who can withstand the currents of twenty years?" The magnificent momentum surged forth, and the audience erupted into enthusiastic applause!
"With a heart full of hatred, my long knife points forward; how many loyal souls lie buried in foreign lands?" A sense of sorrow and indignation filled the air! One Buddy had clearly entered the atmosphere, and even Old Tang's gestures grew more animated.
"How can I hesitate to die a hundred times for my homeland? I endure my sighs, with no words left, tears filling my eyes." One voice had already drowned out all sounds on the playground, piercing through the clouds and scattering into the tranquil night.
"I am willing to defend our land and expand our territory; let the world celebrate a grand China!" The powerful singing came to an abrupt halt with the rhythm, yet everyone lingered in that profound sentiment, silence enveloping them for a long time. The warriors on stage appeared somewhat at a loss, showing signs of tension and confusion. It wasn't until another round of enthusiastic applause and cheers erupted that they finally broke into smiles.
As Old Tang gave the command to lead the team down, Old Company Commander gave me a thumbs-up. "Well done! You set a great tone for this occasion; it fits perfectly with the atmosphere!"
I smiled lightly; this outcome was expected.
Then we heard Instructor's voice over the loudspeaker: "Thank you to First Company for bringing us such a wonderful opening performance. Next, let's welcome Second Company's program—Majestic Drums and Gongs!"
No sooner had the words left his mouth than the sound of gongs and drums echoed through the air!
(To be continued; more excitement tomorrow!)
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